The Tasmanian Greens today rejected outright the idea of a woodchip export facility on Hobart’s waterfront, describing it as a “mad idea” and said that the Premier should rule it out immediately.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said the Greens would not support a single taxpayer dollar going into a new woodchip operation, especially while cuts in health are causing so much pain to so many Tasmanians.

Mr McKim said also the Forests Intergovernmental Agreement signed by Premier Lara Giddings and Prime Minister Julia Gillard is intended to restructure the forestry industry and save Tasmania’s high conservation value forests, and called on Labor to honour that intent.

“The idea of a woodchip export facility on Hobart’s waterfront is a mad idea, and the Premier needs to simply come out and rule it out immediately,” Mr McKim said.

“While it appears that the Premier has ruled out a woodchip mill for Hobart, she has left open the possibility of an export facility including a giant pile of woodchips.”

“Labor needs to remember that they are not a majority government, and that these old-style ideas just entrench old problems and reopen old wounds. The intent of the IGA was to move Tasmania on from all that.”

“The people of Hobart will never support a woodchip export facility on their beautiful waterfront, and the idea of having a great big woodchip pile right next door to Hobart’s arts and tourism precinct is just plain crazy.”

“At a time when there is so much pain from the health budget cuts, the taxpayer should not be funding another loss-making woodchip export facility.”

Mr McKim said that if Labor is serious about continuing to export woodchips, it should remove blockages to a start-up of the Triabunna, mill which the owners have publicly committed to operating in accordance with the IGA.

“It is astonishing that on the one hand, Triabunna is being prevented from reopening and on the other hand, Labor is considering using taxpayer funds to build a new facility.”

Mr McKim said he is seeking further information from Labor on any woodchip facility plans as a matter of urgency.

• What Lara Giddings says: Triabunna opening remains priority

The Premier, Lara Giddings said today that the Government’s priority was to see the timely reopening of Triabunna and urged the new owners to show good faith in this process.

“There will not be a woodchip mill on the Hobart waterfront,” Ms Giddings said.

“However the State Government has always said that a long term solution would need to be found if Triabunna doesn’t reopen.

“The Intergovernmental Agreement on Forestry recognises that a wood chipping and export facility is vital, even in the transition to plantation timber,” Ms Giddings said.

• Mercury Monday: Giddings ruining mill efforts:Mr Marr slammed the comments, saying they were undermining attempts to find an operator. He questioned why anyone would invest up to $20 million to get the Triabunna site operating again if there was a chance the State Government was planning to back a rival mill.

“The people of Hobart will never support a woodchip export facility on their beautiful waterfront”?

So how would that prevent it happening?

Posted by Justa Bloke on 05/11/11 at 05:06 PM

The only good thing about this is that it would bring it home to all the Hobart dwellers just what is happening to our forests. It would save them a trip to go and see.
Lovely view from the top of Mount Wellington and for all those cruise ships that come in!
Of course, they could stop all the protests by piling it all up on that lovely bit of green park at the top of Salamanca Place.

Posted by Barnaby Drake on 05/11/11 at 05:10 PM

If its good enough for Burnie…......;-)

Posted by Simon Warriner on 05/11/11 at 05:35 PM

And the log trucks roll on and roll-over in Hobart for a change. Go for it.

Bryan Green could then give them another $1.5million to bring all the logs back from up north.

Royal Commission.

Posted by Russell Langfield on 05/11/11 at 05:45 PM

The McGreens’ damage control is very belatedly starting to kick in.

But this is only after their senior coalition partner flagged the establishment of a bootleg native forest woodchip parlour in the heart of the capitol.

The McGreens were originally offered a couple rooms in the brothel. But now they are being expected to roll over for a few tricks.

John Hayward

Posted by john hayward on 05/11/11 at 07:42 PM

I expect the Premier is too young to remember the plan to produce woodchips at Southwood and export them from Electrona was shelved by the then minister, Paul Lennon - unless of course Mr. Lennon still has a guiding hand.

Posted by John Maddock on 05/11/11 at 07:58 PM

I reckon this idea could only be a Bryan Green inspiration idea, either that or he’s been told to make it happen by them there like-minded curmudgeons on the board of Forestry Tasmania?

Financial accountability and budgetry controls are out the window with the entire of the Forestry Tasmania hierarchy, they eér continue to snap out their hand to grasp for their salary cheques, honorariums.

Posted by William Boeder on 05/11/11 at 08:28 PM

The chances of this Government of ever picking a winner are about the same odds as the Saturday lotto.

Posted by Barnaby Drake on 06/11/11 at 07:20 AM

Dear Sir,

I am deeply distressed that the greens fail to see the artistic merit of a giant woodchip pile on Hobart’s waterfront.

Dean Charles Parry
Hobart

Posted by Dean Charles Parry on 06/11/11 at 09:28 AM

A pile of woodchips on the lawns at Salamanca,right next to the Silo apartments? brilliant, maybe then supporters of the pulp mill may appreciate the reason people in the Tamar Valley are upset.

Posted by John Beechey on 06/11/11 at 09:42 AM

Bring on a bit of industrial native forest diversity to liven up the dying city. Macquarie wharf beside the unwanted Railyards site is an ideal location for woodchipping, storage and overseas loading facilities.
I would expect the Premier to provide some of IGA cash for the Native Forest diversification transition from the now defunct Triabunna site to Hobart.
Serve Cameron and Wotif right for buying a lemon at Triabunna.
I would rather look foward to the aroma of freshly chipped native eucalypts than exhaust fumes from cars around the waterfront.
The Railroads area was unsuitable for a public hospital, UTAS refused it, instead demanding that the former Bartlett government allow UTAS take over PW2 for Marine studies of what should have been a future tourism precinct!
The Tasman Bridge end of Macquarie wharf has nothing to do with tourism as it is purely for industrial use.
Time for the Premier to act and drop a lead balloon on the whimsical Greens.

Posted by Robin Halton on 06/11/11 at 10:04 AM

# 5. I agree John, just another smoke screen, I have been wondering how long the repair work would take to begin after the savaging of the last few weeks.
Talk about Dorothy Dixers…..........

Anyway The Greens in Tasmania are all but finished, Nick and Cassy have made sure of that.
If there were an election next week there may possibly be one Green returned…but with all the threats he has made with no follow up even he would be doubtful.

I still believe the fox to be the harbinger of the downfall of some Tasmanian politicians past and present that got it all wrong.

Posted by Ian Rist on 06/11/11 at 10:19 AM

Does Lara Giddings want to inflict upon her Hobartians the risks of legionnaire’s disease and other related pulmonary diseases that come along by way of wood-dust dispersal by local winds and breezes from the small mountains of wood chips that have remained in place for long periods of time?

(I refer to the former stored wood-chip piles right at the very edge of the bustling town of Burnie Tasmania.)

Bad enough that Bryan Green would be up to his elbows in this contentious plan, for it would be he that had brought this notion of a Hobart wood-chip mill to the mind of our Lara.

Perhaps too much time has been spent by both the Premier and Deputy Premier discussing what could further done with taxpayer revenues to aid Bryan’s ailing and failing logging industry.

Posted by William Boeder on 06/11/11 at 10:50 AM

McJekyll is against the idea, but what does McHyde think about it?

Posted by Mike on 06/11/11 at 10:53 AM

#11. Mr Robin Halton, could you please inform the Tasmanian Times attendees as to why you are in favour of our native Forests being continually reduced, only to feed such a wholly destructive “new” Pulp-Mill?
I speak to you as one of the intelligent folk, but yet you are in favour of the continuity to the present practices engaged in by Tasmania’s logging efforts?
You do recall the high scale denudation of our native Forests just for wood-chips, (not as solely for saw-logs for construction timber etc,) which soon became a small by-product of logging our HCV Forests simply solely to feed the Wood-chipping wants of Gunns Ltd at that former time?

Currently shiploads of our Native Forest logs are sent off to China at what could only be for some ridiculously low price, hopefully though at some cost plus benefit to the State’s revenues, rather than for the sole benefit of China?

Forestry Tasmania has frequently shown the people of this State, (more particularly in the very recent past,) how little concerned they are with the pure economics involved in pursuing their crazed profitless logging desires, therefore I cannot see how ramping up wood-chip production is something that you seem to believe is so vital to Tasmania?

Another point here Robin, you seem to favour the ugly pursuits of Bryan Green to continue to destroy whatever amount of Native Forests that can be flattened, (no matter their conservation values,) to support the profitless endeavours of Forestry Tasmania?
Why is this Robin?

Posted by William Boeder on 06/11/11 at 11:29 AM

Re #8
Far less than that.

Re #11
Why not? See how you go.

Posted by Russell Langfield on 06/11/11 at 11:36 AM

#15 William I am talking about less than 50% of the native forest woodchip output plus plantation thinnings now that Gunns have relinquised their sawlog cutting rights.
Export woodchip facilities for the South based in Hobart makes sense as most of the sawlog, peelers and by product (pulpwood and sawmill waste) will be originating from Huon, Upper Derwent and Central Highlands.
I suspect that most of the wood from Eastern Tiers will go north to be chipped by Artec on the Tamar.
I am not suggesting outright that chipping facilities must be placed on Macquarie Wharf!
At least the export loading facility should be placed on Macquarie Wharf.
It makes sense to me that woodchip stocks on the wharf need to be loaded and shipped offshore within the shortest possible time frame.
Is it possible a central chipper be set up close to rail at Brighton and chips railed into Macquarie wharf?
At the end of the day it all comes down to economics, reduced handling will probably dictate the economics of the venture.
I would like to see a forum on 7.30 Stateline with Airlie Ward to introduce the concept more widely to the public.
William, I too never expect too much from Bryan Green, regardless of our differences over forestry, Bryan is no more than a puppet of her majesty Lady Lara!
In common with you I have very little time for State Labor under her Ladyship.
The initiatives behind this venture will have to come from those tied to the forest industry. As far as I am concerned this is not a political issue for the Labor Party to grandstand on.

Posted by Robin Halton on 06/11/11 at 04:25 PM

At last that Lara is on the money.

The log trucks will soon be rolling down Macquarie Street straight into the Hobart dockside chipper.

With luck we will get back to 6 million loss making tonnes a year.The Loggers will make her a Saint.

The Lib /Labrs will be in Heaven for the taxpayer will have been taught a lesson they will never forget as they see the Pollies back in Control.

Those wretched Greenies will have at last met their Waterloo so all is well again in this your corrupt Tasmania.

Posted by john hawkins on 06/11/11 at 06:44 PM

Re #17
Until now you’ve been stating your opinion that the woodchipping industry has brought the Tasmanian forestry industry to its knees and was the wrong direction to go. Now you’re advocating the Gunnerment funding a new woodchip mill. Extraordinary.

“Bryan is no more than a puppet of her majesty
Lady Lara!”

It’s the other way around.

Posted by Russell Langfield on 06/11/11 at 07:03 PM

Lara is very much being guided/influenced by Lennon! He has been her mentor, he is not likely to quit now after years of forestry and government floundering in the pig trough together.

The idea of a pulp export facility means Lara can resurrect the site where she advocated having the new hospital - wasting millions in the process. That was shouted down by public condemnation, and so will this idea be. In the process, more money will be wasted by a feckless government.

Posted by salamander on 06/11/11 at 07:38 PM

I don’t believe that the government have any intention of sticking to the SOP or the IGA.
John Gay has said that he intends to start exporting high quality veneers for motor vehicles and boats to Europe.
When he was chairman, CEO and everything of Gunns ltd he closed the Boyer Veneer mill because it required Old Growth logs to make the high quality veneer they produced there, he said the material was not available any more.
So where are the Old Growth logs for the new venture going to come from.
He is not going to be making high quality veneers from sawmill waste, plantations or what is left on the ground in logging coupes now.
Now Lara wants to ramp up woodchipping again, even though the claim is that it is for sawmill waste only which is utter rubbish. It is definitely not worth all that infrastructure for a maximum of 40 thousand tonnes of waste a year.
So the intention is to keep logging Old Growth and to keep low value commodity woodchipping to sell it at a loss to the Chinese because they are the only market at the moment. At a price of $108 per tonne it is a definite road to ruin.

Posted by Pete Godfrey on 06/11/11 at 08:24 PM

#17. Robin thank you for your polite response.
Now, about this reference to utilizing plantation prunings, this is similar to the claim that the the pulp-mill in Triabunna was constructed to chip Native Forest residues that remained after saw-logs were removed from coupes and other clear-fell regions.
I am yet to see a log-truck loaded with anything other than Native Forest logs of all dimensions, or loaded with plantation pine-logs en-route to the chip-mills of Gunns Ltd.
Maybe I’ve even seen a few log-trucks loaded with saw-logs, but never in my 8 plus years have I sighted any log-trucks loaded with the residues of eucalyptus plantations, or prunings from plantations, or residues from Native Forest clear-fell operations.
Yes Robin, I do travel about the State from time to time, so I have have had the opportunity of seeing log-trucks loaded with other than whole or purpose split logs.
I have also visited Native Forest coupes and different locations when Native Forest logging was underway, the residues are generally bulldozed or stacked into either heaps or wind-rows, so none of this went to any pulp-mill.

Down our way there are thousands of hectares of Gunns Plantations, (or former Gunns Ltd plantations,) never did anything other than logs leave these logged sites.

At some quite early stage of the Triabunna wood-chip mill, (and consequently each of Gunns Ltd wood-chip mills,) the instruction was given by somebody associated with Gunns Ltd to bring only whole logs into the Chippers.
(Remember the famous Mercury photo of all the many loaded log trucks waiting to enter the Triabunna chip-mill, to finally unload their Native Forest whole-logs of varying sizes, for the Chipping machine?)
I don’t know where this myth of pine prunings going into the chippers came from, perhaps you could provide further details?

#19. Russell, I agree with you as to which person is leading the other in this State, despite what some people might think, Lara Giddings would know Jack S—t about the inner doings of Forestry Tasmania, that inner knowledge is strictly the domain of Bryan Green.

Posted by William Boeder on 06/11/11 at 09:57 PM

There’s no money left in the kitty and the Government is on the back foot. It’s a good opportunity to put the Greens in a position where they can no longer support them, force a vote of no confidence, go into opposition, blame the Greens for everything and hand over the whole mess to the Liberals. Breathe a sigh of relief. Classic manoeuver.

Posted by pat synge on 07/11/11 at 05:53 AM

Now it will be a different story for the Southerners. They don’t care much if a gigantic mill is built in the Tamar Valley but give them a wood chip pile on Hobart’s waterfront and that will be the end of the world. As for Lala saying that the government will help with finance, get real Lara! Where is the money coming from?Not me!

Posted by glennis on 07/11/11 at 07:41 AM

Nick McKim says, “The Greens will not support a single dollar of taxpayer funds going into another woodchip export facility while the health budget is causing so much pain to so many Tasmanians.”

Where have we heard that before?

Posted by Russell Langfield on 07/11/11 at 07:52 AM

On-the-Level Lara, Probity Paul (yes, as Lara’s string-puller, he’s still in the game) and Believable Bryan are just mess’n with ya all’s heads. There is no intention of building another mill or of establishing a chip shipping facility on the Hobart docks. The whole purpose of the exercise is to force the Triabunna mill out of the hands of Cameron and Wood and into the hands of the ‘forestry industry’ (aka Forestry Tasmania via one front company or another). Lara said as much on the wireless this morning.

Re # 21 Lara Giddings wouldn’t know Jack S**t about foxes either, but Bryan Green as the last remaining original fox minister left standing would be ensuring that Lara got it right on his public view of the fox situation.
A bit of financial advise from Richard Dowling and a bit of political advise from Rohan Wade would give Lara the backing to make the statement down at the Circular Head Dairy talkfest that the dairy cows and calves are just one of the reasons we must keep the Fox Eradication Program ongoing.
I have had this out with Greenie many times, after the last election when Bryan Green knew he had inherited the DPIPWE portfolio and was worried about the fox program I had a ‘phone conversation with him which included this;
Ian “Bryan you know that this fox thing is going to blow up in someones face one day don’t you”.
Bryan “yeah I know mate, that’s why I don’t want a bar of it, it will be David O’Byrnes turf”.

From Hansard HOA 29th June 2010:

Mr ROCKLIFF - Foxes.
Mr GREEN - It is not my turf.
Mr ROCKLIFF - It is your turf and Quarantine’s because there are fox scats collected in other States but - apparently - mailed to Tasmania. There is some concern that the fox scat collections are done in New South Wales where there is known hydatids. How can we absolutely guarantee that no hydatids is coming into Tasmania on fox scats, which are used to train detector dogs? We are hydatids free in Tasmania. This poses a risk. It has been put to me that there is not an effective control method to reduce or nullify the risk of hydatids.
Mr SCHAAP - We have import requirements around trying to maintain hydatids freedom. The risks presented by fox scats compared to the risks associated with treated dogs are minimal. Having said that, one of the reasons that we are relatively relaxed about importation of fox scats is that they are used for a number of purposes. One is dog training and the other is, over coming months, experimentation on rates of recovery of scats and the rates at which scats degrade. In all those cases the scats were recovered from the environment and even if there were viable parasites within the scats, the mechanisms for them to find their way into the landscape and become part of the hydatids life cycle in Tasmania are quite limited. But we do have -
Mr ROCKLIFF - So they are not tested for hydatids before?
Mr SCHAAP - No.

Posted by Ian Rist on 07/11/11 at 11:40 AM

It is time for the Greens to pull the plug, if Labor decides to help finance a woodchip mill. There are issues around Triabunna in relation to the wharf and ethical timber stock for the Triabunna mill. However, those issues need to be sorted out; forestry has been a running sore for too long for the Government to send further good money after bad.

Posted by Keith Antonysen on 07/11/11 at 08:19 PM

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